Punjab Assembly Elections : DGP Punjab calls for greater synergy between States Police and Intelligence Agencies to prevent cross-border smuggling of drugs
– Punjab Police convenes High Level meeting to review Drug Situation ahead of Punjab Assembly Elections
CHANDIGARH, 15 January 2022 : With Punjab Assembly Elections 2022 are around the corner, Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab VK Bhawra on Saturday underlined the need for more synergy between the States Police and Intelligence Agencies to prevent inflow of drugs in the state. It is pertinent to mention that Model Code of Conduct has come into force and General Elections to be held on February 14, 2022, while the result will be declared on March 10, 2022.
The DGP was presiding over a high-level Coordination Meeting organised virtually for review of Drug Situation in view of forthcoming Assembly Elections. The meeting was convened by Chief Director Vigilance Bureau-cum-State Police Nodal Officer (SPNO) for Elections, Punjab, while, ADGP RN Dhoke and ADGP Naresh Arora also present in the meeting.
Representatives from Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Border Security Force (BSF), Delhi Police, Haryana Police, Himachal Pradesh Police, Rajasthan Police, Chandigarh Police, Madhya Pradesh Police and Jammu & Kashmir Police attended the meeting. Chief Drug Controllers from states including J&K, HP, Haryana, Uttarakhand and UT Chandigarh also participated in the meeting.
During the meeting, all the neighbouring states and the agencies have decided to appoint nodal officers, who will share their mobile numbers and also make a WhatsApp group to share any information/intelligence on drugs on a real-time basis so that anyone indulging in drugs could be nabbed without wasting any time.
All the representatives have also decided to share a list of Proclaimed Offenders (POs), Absconders and Parole Jumpers accused of NDPS act cases. They also decided to share details of people involved in smuggling of drugs with each other for better coordinated action.
The NCB Authorities will be deploying 28 teams in Punjab (one team in each district) for coordination with Punjab Police to take effective action against drugs.
While briefing about the source of smuggling of various drugs, the DGP stressed on the need of sealing of interstate borders by neighbouring states and intensification of checking at Integrated Check Post, Attari to check smuggling of drugs in containers coming from Pakistan side. He also asked the IGP/Border Security Force, Jalandhar, Punjab Frontier to intensify vigil and patrolling on the international border.
He urged the Gwalior-based Central Bureau of Narcotics to ensure checking of illegal supply of poppy husk and opium in the areas where poppy is being cultivated, while asking Chief Drug Controllers of the northern region to ensure that no illegal supply of pharmaceutical drugs takes places from their areas to the Punjab side.
He also requested NCB to ensure that special teams be deployed for checking of smuggling in the northern region of the country to monitor and track supply of all types of drugs besides keeping check and monitoring supply of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine.
SPNO Elections Ishwar Singh said that Punjab Police has adopted Zero Tolerance towards drug menace and directed CPs/SSPs of the Punjab to intensify the vigil on drugs. If anyone found indulged in peddling or smuggling of drugs should not be spared, he added.
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